Brookline residents and board opposed to pipeline

By IRENE LABOMBARDE

Staff Writer

BROOKLINE – It was standing room only as more than 30 residents attended the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday to listen to a presentation by Beaver Brook Association on alternate routes for a proposed pipeline that would cut through some of its conservation land if the initial proposed path is approved.

BROOKLINE – It was standing room only as more than 30 residents attended the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday to listen to a presentation by Beaver Brook Association on alternate routes for a proposed pipeline that would cut through some of its conservation land if the initial proposed path is approved.

Board Chairman Darrell Philpot took a sense of the room, and when he asked who supported the pipeline, not one hand went up.

After discussion of the routes, which at this point are informational only, members of the public were allowed to speak.

“I would think we would want to protect Beaver Brook,” said Forrest Milkowski. “I support the idea to take action to save conservation land. On Route 13, who cares? I have a house on Route 13, and there are trucks and it’s noisy. We don’t want it in the center of town.”

“I live on Route 13 and I do care if it goes along there,” said Keith Thompson. “People who live there already bear the burden of a busy highway. This will be paid for by a surcharge on our electric rates. I think we should oppose the pipeline under any circumstances. This pipeline is significantly larger than what is needed to meet New England’s fuel needs and is being designed to export. It will not reduce our energy costs.”

Jordan Bailey of the Brookline Conservation Commission spoke at length about the ecological impacts of a pipeline, saying people need to consider if the project is necessary at all.

“This is a for profit company,” she said regarding Kinder Morgan. “The less landowners they deal with the less legal battles. When you cut through a forest, it changes it. This will change the ecological tone of the town.”

Rui Laura raised suspicions over the motivation of the proposed route.

“It’s great that the town is rallying behind Beaver Brook,” he said, “but my concern is when they change the route, they will divide the opposition. I wouldn’t be surprised if they proposed this route on purpose. When it comes to my neighbor’s property being taken by force, we all need to back them up. We need to stick up for each other.”

The board will now write a letter to Kinder-Morgan voicing opposition to the pipeline going through Brookline. Several residents expressed an interest in forming a citizen’s group to gather information and plan strategy for fighting the pipeline.